Lick: Devil's Fury Book 2

by Torrie Robles

  “What if they don’t?”

  “If they don’t, then fuck ’em.”

  “Tylan!” I smack his hand from my face.

  “I say it because they’re going to be grateful for everything you’re doing for them. And if they aren’t then I’ll beat it into ’em.” He gives me a joking smirk, and his crudeness actually settles my nerves.

  I suck in a breath when I hear the doorbell ring, breaking our little pep talk session. Tylan’s eyes find mine; I see the uncertainty in them. No matter the jokes he tells me, the smart remarks he delivers, he’s more scared than I am. He’s doing this for me, not for him, and I need to be strong. I need to be the rock when he’s the one likely to crumble. Family is a sore subject for him, and if it weren’t for me, these kids would have been sucked into the system, and he wouldn’t have thought twice about them.

  Tylan pulls open the door, and upon hearing the commotion, Goober comes scampering from down the hall and stops at my feet. “There’s a puppy!” Roxy squeals as she runs into the house, completely ignoring her uncle and me. She plops herself on her bottom as Goober jumps at her, licking her face. Her laughs and seeing the happiness on her face make all my worries dissolve.

  When I pull my eyes from Roxy, I see Maggie, Ryder, and Tylan all standing there watching the exchange. Tylan swallows as he sees his niece interact with my dog and I can’t help but wonder what’s going through this mind. Ryder, on the other hand, looks as though he wants to be anywhere, but here and I know that we’ll have a hard and long road ahead of us when it comes to him and his ‘I hate the world’ attitude. I understand, though. He’s been dealt a crappy hand and it seems to only get crappier by the day. I hope that we can change that.

  “Do you guys have any questions for us?” I ask the kids as soon as Maggie leaves.

  Everything went according to plan, or so she said as we spoke briefly on the front porch. We did a walkthrough of the house; we showed the kids their rooms, where I’ll be sleeping and where Tylan will be sleeping. Roxy loved her room. She said she’s never seen anything like it. Ryder, on the other hand, didn’t hate his room, but he didn’t say he liked it either. He just dropped what little he had in his possession on the bed and followed by dropping himself on the bed as well.

  Maggie has taken it upon herself to enroll the kids in the local school. Both will be attending the elementary school that’s two blocks over. Tylan wasn’t too happy about it. He thinks the kids are going to have a hard time making friends with it being the middle of the school year and didn’t want them to have to deal with all of that. He thought since I was going to school to teach, that I could teach them here at the house and avoid all the judgment that the kids will more than likely experience with being in a new school and all. But Maggie and I both agreed that they need to be social, and going to school with kids their own age will be the best way to accomplish that.

  “Can Goober sleep with me?” Roxy asks. She has insisted on carrying him around like a baby, and he hasn’t minded at all.

  “No,” Tylan answers before I can get my answer in.

  Her little lip quivers as her eyes fill with tears. “Why not?”

  “The thing probably has fleas, Rox.”

  My eyes cut to Ryder. “No, he doesn’t,” I address him firmly.

  I bend down to meet Roxy eye to eye. I don’t want her intimidated or feel scared for asking her question. I don’t want either of these kids to think they can’t talk to us. Well, at least to me since it seems that Tylan is going to be a little bit overwhelming to approach until they feel comfortable with him.

  “Because, sweetie, he has his own bed in the living room. He likes it there, so that’s where he sleeps.”

  “Oh.” Her little voice is faint. She sounds so defeated. I look up to Tylan for help since he’s just standing there.

  “I’ll move his bed into your room. But you gotta keep your door open so he can go outside in the middle of the night if he needs to.” Tylan’s resolution has my shoulders relax a little.

  “Okay, deal!” Roxie says with a smile.

  The kids have been asleep for a couple of hours now, and the house is quiet. Tylan, normally a night owl, turned in shortly after the kids did. I know today was emotional for him. I can only imagine the thoughts that were going through his mind the entire night. His life is a complete one-eighty now, so far from where he thought he would be.

  Cracking my bedroom door open, I stick my head out to listen for any sounds. I’m worried that Roxy is going to wake up, scared. I feel for that little girl. Padding quietly down the hall, I push through Roxy’s door. Her head is on her pillow while she clutches one of the baby dolls Savannah got her in her arms. She’s kicked her legs free of the blankets. I bring the covers over her body and place a kiss on her cheek, leaving her room as quietly as I entered it.

  I notice Ryder’s door is now open. We put small night lights in each of the rooms to make sure the kids can see if they need to. The soft glow of Ryder’s room reveals that he’s taken down some, but not all of the posters Tylan has hung up. Knowing that we kind of got it right makes me feel like we’re going in the right direction.

  As I turn my back to leave, I see a small movement, and Goober pops his head up from beneath the covers. He wiggles his little body, causing Ryder to adjust and bring him closer to his chest. Goober lies his head back down without so much as a fight.

  “What are you doing, Sugar Tits?”

  Jumping, I let out a small squeak. Spinning around, I smack Tylan on the chest. “You scared the crap out of me. Why would you do that?” My voice is a rough whisper. “That’s so not nice.”

  He silently laughs, his bare chest heaves with amusement. “You had that one coming.”

  “Oh yeah.” I run my hands up his abdomen, my nails raking across his skin. The growl coming from his throat fuels my desire. Lifting myself to the tips of my toes, I snake my arms around his neck, bringing his lips to mine.

  Instantly, he’s hard. I can feel his stiffness against my stomach. Pushing me up against the hall wall, right next to Ryder’s room, he deepens our kiss. “Fuck yeah.” He whispers against my lips.

  I let out a soft whimper as his fingers push into my panties. My body’s on fire for him. He works his fingers in and out of me with precision, knowing just where to stroke to bring me pleasure. An orgasm hits will full force, causing my knees to weaken. I can feel his lips curl into a smile behind his kiss. You’d think I’d be satisfied, but my orgasm only fuels my desire to be with him, to feel him slide into me…

  But not this time. Not right now.

  Pushing against his chest, he takes a step back. He’s panting, lips pink and swollen. “Good night, Tylan.” I pat his chest, stepping around him.

  “What the fuck?” he says a little too loud for my liking.

  I look over my shoulder. “It’s called payback for today.” I give him a little wink, closing my bedroom door behind me.

  Keith Bubba Dawson is back, a patched in member of this MC for years, who completely fucked up several months back.

  Being a recovering addict, he’d let some pussy and the need to get his fix cloud his judgment. He was the roach in the club that allowed Savannah’s bitch of an ex to get the intel he needed to snatch Savannah out from under, you guessed it, Bubba’s protection. He and that whore Kara had been feeding Redding information about Savannah. Bubba got his fix, and Kara got to see Sin suffer, but not for too long. Once Redding didn’t need Kara, he ended her life. And the fuckers who Redding brought when he came for Savannah, shot Bubba in the shoulder when he tried to stop em. But now he’s back, healthy and clean.

  I’m sitting across from Sin who is staring daggers at the man he once considered a brother. “I’ll never be able to apologize enough,” Bubba addresses the entire club. “I was weak, and my weakness almost cost this club more than I’ll ever be able to wrap my head around. I was selfish.”

  “Fuck yeah, you were,” Sin growls.

  “Bubba,” Cu
t breaks in, “the only reason you’re still standing and not six feet deep is that we’re about more than the bikes and the shit we do to make ends meet. We’re a family, and at times family fucks up and that’s exactly what you did. But you’re also one of my best friends. We’ve grown up in the MC, and we’ve seen the shit storm that used to pass through these walls when things were different. When bodies dropped like fucking flies in a deep freeze. But today isn’t the past, and we sure as fuck don’t act as we once did. I’d rather forgive but never forget than kill you and never forgive myself.”

  Cut’s eyes scan the table. Dyke, Bubba’s father, sits with his arms crossed over his chest. He’s rocking back and forth, uneasy about the exchange that’s happening. I know for a fact that he’s torn between the love he has for his son and the loyalty he feels for this MC. This club was here before Bubba ever took his first breath. I wonder what Dyke would do if Cut decided to either kill Bubba or oust him. Would he refuse to be a part of something that would destroy his son or would he be the one to insist on pulling the trigger? I know my father would never choose another thing before me. I understand that what he did, he did because he was trying to make our family better, and he did it the only way he knew how.

  Cut’s voice brings me back to the present. “You’re on probation. You’ll be spending most of your time here at the club, and you will in no way be involved in the bounty sides of things or the build side of things. I don’t even want you at the store. When we, as a club, feel you’re worthy of more, we’ll talk again.”

  With a slam of his palm on the wooden surface of the table, our session is over.

  “This is the correct thing to do, right?” Jenni asks over her shoulder as she slides her license under the three-inch thick Plexiglas window. The deputy takes it and then slides it in the card reader that’s hooked to his computer. I turn to watch the kids sitting on the bench along the far wall. We’re at the prison where my father is serving his time. I’m sure Maggie will frown on us being here, but one of the reasons why I have the kids is because it was something my father wanted.

  “Yes.” I turn back around to witness the deputy slide the license back to her. “My pops wants to meet the kids. What am I supposed to do? Tell him no? I can’t deny my father the right to see his grandkids.”

  I run my hand up her jean-clad ass just as she swats it away. Her lack of intimacy when the kids are around is pissing me off. She tells me she doesn’t want to confuse them or make them feel uncomfortable. But what she doesn’t realize is that I’m the fucking uncomfortable one because it’s been two fucking weeks since these kids moved in and two fucking weeks since I felt her pussy grip my dick. These kids are the best form of cockblocking, and they don’t even know it. I don’t even wanna get into the fact that she fucking left me standing in the hallway, hard as fuck ready to fill her up with my cum. She thought it was a fucking game, teasing me like that. Well, I’m not playing that shit.

  “You’re ‘hard to get act’ is getting fucking old, Sugar Tits.”

  “Seriously,” she deadpans.

  “Yeah, seriously. You think those kids haven’t seen my sister being fucked by some random loser? You think Ryder doesn’t know all about the birds and the bees? Because I’m sorry to break it to you, but those kids haven’t been raised like you were, and I’m sure they’ve seen and heard more shit than you and I put together, and if you add me to the mix, that’s saying a lot. Now,” I take a step closer, wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her so that her tits are flush with my chest, “when am I gonna feel your pussy again, huh? I’m a starving man, baby, and I need to feed.” I lean down to take her lips, but she turns her head so that I land on her fucking cheek. “You’re fucking killing me, Jenni. No fucking joke.”

  “They’re watching,” she says, and I know she’s talking about the kids.

  “Let ’em.”

  She pushes away. “Tylan–”

  Her words are cut off by the guard calling for the visitors of McCoy. I place my hand on Ryder’s shoulders while Roxy grips Jenni’s hand. When we enter the large open room with the round metal tables, I see my father. His gaze lands on us, and the emotions flood his face.

  “Hi, I’m Jenni Hoyt.” When she reaches her hand out to shake my father’s, he pulls her into a hug, but as soon as his arms wrap around her, the guards are yelling his name to step back. Roxy visibly flinches which pisses me off. She’s a fucking kid for Christ’s sake, and she’s scared shitless being here.

  Ignoring the guards, my father crouches down to meet Roxy’s eyes. “And who do you have here?”

  “I’m Roxy, Papa.”

  He chokes back a sob. “You’re beautiful, Roxy.”

  When he stands up, he squares his shoulders to meet Ryder. “Ryder.” My father says his name, treating him like he’s an adult and giving him the respect that, in my book, he hasn’t earned. I get that his life has been tossed upside down, but his pre-teen defiance and ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude is pushing me over the edge. Soon, I’ll need to have a come to Jesus meeting with the kid. But my father knows how to treat people, and he knows that Ryder needs this. He needs to be seen as an equal and not coddled like a child.

  “Roger.” The fact that Ryder addresses my father by this name and not the title of grandpa has my father laughing.

  “I know you’re your mama’s boy, but if I weren’t aware, I’d say you’re more of your uncle’s than your mother’s.” He pats Ryder on his shoulder, easing the tension. “Come on, let’s walk outside. There are basketball courts where you kids can play.”

  We follow my father outside. When I come for my visits, I never pay attention to what’s going on around me. I’m here to see my father, and that’s it. But with the kids here, my eyes are on constant look out. I’m not sure if I want the kids around any of these men.

  “There are guards everywhere,” my father tells me.

  “What?”

  “You’re worried about the kids. Don’t be. There are guards everywhere. The only men who’ll be outside are with their own families. I’d never put the kids in any harm.”

  My father pushes the metal doors open. The sun is bright, but the cool air hits me like a hammer. I’m not sure it’s a great idea to have the kids out here. I don’t want to deal with any colds, or runny noses for a week because my father thought it was a grand idea to have them outside.

  “Tylan.” My father’s voice pulls me away from my worried thoughts. “They’re fine. They have jackets. They aren’t going to get sick.”

  “How the fuck do you do that?” I ask as Jenni giggles beside me.

  “I’m a parent. I know the shit that’s going through your head. It’s the same that used to go through my head when you and your sister were little.”

  “I’m not a parent,” I tell them.

  He shakes his head before he heads over to a wooden bench parked close to the courts. “Keep telling yourself that,” he says over his shoulder.

  I stand there and take in the area. Men in tan jumpsuits play various sports with their kids while their wives, girlfriends, and mothers stand by to watch. My father is facing the court where Ryder’s bouncing the ball to Roxy. Jenni sits next to my dad, smiling at the sight of the two kids being kids, even if on a prison playground.

  Ryder’s a good brother to Roxy when he thinks no one’s looking. I’ve seen him cut her meat while Jenni and I are still getting things on the table. He’s even helped her brush her teeth a few times. He goes into her room every night to make sure she’s tucked in even though Jenni always does it before him. He likes to take care of her just like I used to like to take care of Betsy…

  Coming around the corner of the house, I stop when I see Betsy sitting on the ground, with bare feet. Her knees are drawn up with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her head is buried down, but by the sniffling, I know she’s crying. “Hey,” I say as I kneel in front of her. “Bets, what’s wrong?”

  When she looks at me, her face is streaked with te
ars and dirt. “Th–the kids,” she huffs out. “They made f–fun of the holes in my–my shoes.”

  I glance over and see that she’s right. Both shoes have big holes on each shoe where her big toes rest. It’s the simple truth that we can’t afford the necessities of life. Like being able to buy my sister shoes that actually fit.

  I hate that my sister has to go through this. “Don’t worry, Bets. We’ll figure it out.”

  “How?”

  “Just leave it to me,” I tell her as I rub my hand through her hair.

  I shake my head, bringing me back to the present. That day was the first time I stole anything. I walked through the parking lot of a local shopping center, trying car handle after car handle. Luckily for me, it only took about six cars before I found one that was opened. When I pulled open the ash tray and saw a fifty-dollar bill, I knew that I’d be able to buy those shoes for Betsy.

  “You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.” My father dips his head towards the kids, and I know he’s talking about Ryder. “There’s a lot of anger in that boy.”

  My dad’s right. There is a lot of anger, but there’s more to him than that. “Are you surprised, though? Look at me.”

  “I know, son. I know your anger runs deep. For your sister, your mother… For me.”

  “It’s not like that.” I’ve tried to tell him that there isn’t any anger where he’s concerned, but he never believes me. Maybe I’m trying to convince myself.

  “Don’t, son. Life’s too short to keep harping on the past. You survived.” He bumps his shoulder into Jenni’s. “You’ve got a good thing going here. It’s time for you to let everything go and turn your back on your demons. Stop swinging. Stop giving them so much energy. It’s not going to change anything but you. You already have enough anger held up in your bones to last a lifetime. Don’t keep adding to it, holding on to things that you can’t change. Your mother and sister are dead. If they rest in peace, it’s up to them and their souls. Don’t let their choices ruin yours.”